This invention relates to a beverage brewing filter structure for retaining a brewing substance or a combination of a filter and a brewing substance for infusion with heated water to produce a liquid brewed beverage.
Many beverage brewing filter structures define a frame to support and separate a disposable brewing filter containing a portion of brewing substance disposed therein from internal walls of a beverage brewing funnel. These beverage brewing filter structures must retain the brewing filter and brewing substance so as to space them away from the funnel walls to define a passage therebetween, thereby permitting the liquid brewed beverage to drain from the brewing filter, into the passage and through an aperture formed in the bottom of the funnel. Other beverage brewing filter structures are also formed where the filter structures and the brewing funnels are one in the same.
Typically, filter structures are formed to fit the shape of brewing funnels and to support most mass-produced brewing filters (i.e., disposable paper filters). Such filter structures generally have a base with walls protruding from the base at an obtuse angle, forming an opening with a larger diameter than that of the base. Thus, when the brewing substance is situated within the brewing filter, the brewing filter generally conforms to the shape of the filter structure. This design, however, does not optimize extraction of the brewing substance because when the hot water infuses the brewing substance, the brewing substance directly above the base becomes spent very quickly whereas the brewing substance proximally located along the angled walls is hardly spent at all. Thus, not all of the brewing substance is infused substantially the same amount, potentially leaving an uneven extraction of the brewing substance.
Also, most filter structures have a base that is angled downward so that all the liquid brew flows toward a center point of a brewing filter that is rested in the filter structure. The liquid brew then drains from the brewing filter at this center point into the brewing funnel. This single drainage point design, however, causes the brewing substance near the center point to be thoroughly saturated and perhaps over infused, thus potentially creating additional uneven extraction of the brewing substance and making for a bitter flavor in the brewed liquid.
An object of the present invention is to provide a beverage brewing filter structure with an increased bed depth in order to give a more efficient and consistent extraction of the beverage brewing substance during the infusion process, as well as better taste profile over other standard filter supports.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a beverage brewing filter structure which has a plurality of wicking points through which brew may drip, drain or flow in order to provide a better taste profile over other standard filters supports, as well as a more even extraction of the brewing substance.
Briefly, and in accordance with the foregoing, the first embodiment of the present invention provides a novel beverage brewing filter structure used to retain a brewing filter or, including a reusable filter material attached thereto, and to retain a beverage brewing substance. The structure generally includes a frame having a base, and a wall extending from the base to a top rim, thus defining a generally annular mouth. The wall is made up of a plurality of ribs or other structure defining open spaces. The wall has a first angled portion that extends from the base and a second angled portion that extends from the first angled portion to the top rim. The first angled portion of the ribs defines a smaller angle relative to the base than the second angled portion. The ribs of the wall extend radially inwardly to define a base which is positioned in a plane and has a plurality of gaps therethrough. Each rib conjoins to another rib at a center portion of the base to provide a plurality of wicking points. The ribs of the base are supported by a bottom rim which is generally annular.
The second embodiment of the present invention provides a beverage brewing filter structure similar to that of the first embodiment. The second embodiment differs in that the first angled portion of the ribs defines a larger angle relative to the base than the second portion. In the second embodiment, the ribs also extend radially inwardly to define the base. The base, however, is not positioned in a plane, rather the ribs extend upward toward the mouth.
The third embodiment of the present invention combines a beverage brewing filter structure and a brewing funnel into one structure. The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the walls and the base are continuous as the filter structure also acts as the brewing funnel. The structure also has flanges which act similar to the ribs of the base in that they are positioned in a plane and provide a plurality of gaps therethrough, thereby providing multiple wicking points.